Anthony Veiller (23 June 1903 – 27 June 1965) was an American screenwriter and film producer, who wrote for 41 films between 1934 and 1964. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, for Stage Door (1937) and The Killers (1946).
Early life and education Veiller was born on 23 June 1903 in New York City to playwright and screenwriter Bayard Veiller and English-born actress Margaret Wycherly. He studied at Antioch College and Union College, before moving to Hollywood in 1930.
Career Veiller was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. In 1937, he co-wrote (with Morrie Ryskind) the screenplay for Stage Door, starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers and Adolphe Menjou. This loose adaptation of the play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Veiller was also Oscar-nominated for writing (with uncredited help from John Huston and Richard Brooks) The Killers (1946), an adaptation of the short story by Ernest Hemingway. The film introduced Burt Lancaster to filmgoers, and won an Edgar Award as best mystery film of 1946. In 2008, it was included in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
During the Second World War he worked with Frank Capra on several films in the documentary/propaganda film series collectively titled Why We Fight. In 1946 (the same year as The Killers), Veiller co-wrote The Stranger, directed by and starring Orson Welles. For State of the Union (1948), again directed by Capra, Veiller was credited as co-producer as well as co-writer. Veiller worked with director John Huston on several films: Moulin Rouge (1952), Beat the Devil (1953), The List of Adrian Messenger (1963), and The Night of the Iguana (1964), the film of the Tennessee Williams play that became Veiller's final screen credit.
Death Veiller died on 27 June 1965 of cancer in Hollywood, California.
Filmography
The Witching Hour (1934) - screenplay, producer Menace (1934) - screenplay The Notorious Sophie Lang (1934) - screenplay Break of Hearts (1935) - screenplay Star of Midnight (1935) - screenplay College Scandal (1935) - uncredited writer Jalna (1935) - screenplay Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935) - screenplay The Lady Consents (1936) - screenplay The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936) - screenplay Swing Time (1936) - uncredited writer A Woman Rebels (1936) - screenplay Winterset (1936) - screenplay The Soldier and the Lady (1937) - screenplay Stage Door (1937) - screenplay Radio City Revels (1938) - screenplay The Saint in New York (1938) - screenplay Gunga Din (1939) - uncredited writer Let Us Live (1939) - screenplay Disputed Passage (1939) - screenplay Typhoon (1940) - producer Safari (1940) - producer The Quarterback (1940) - producer Moon Over Burma (1940) - producer Victory (1940) - producer New York Town (1941) - producer Her Cardboard Lover (1942) - screenplay Why We Fight: Prelude to War (1942) (documentary) - uncredited writer Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia (1943) (documentary) - uncredited writer, narrator Why We Fight: The Nazis Strike (1943) (documentary) - uncredited writer, narrator Why We Fight: The Battle of Britain (1943) (documentary) - uncredited director, narrator Assignment in Brittany (1943) - screenplay Know Your Ally: Britain (1944) (documentary) - uncredited director Tunisian Victory (documentary) (1944) - uncredited writer Adventure (1945) - screenplay War Comes to America (1945) (documentary) - uncredited writer Two Down and One to Go (1945) (documentary) - screenplay Here is Germany (1945) (documentary) - uncredited writer, narrator The Stranger (1946) - screenplay The Killers (1946) - screenplay State of the Union (1948) - screenplay, associate producer Colorado Territory (1949) - producer Backfire (1950) - producer Chain Lightning (1950) - producer Dallas (1950) - producer Along the Great Divide (1951) - producer Fort Worth (1951) - producer Force of Arms (1951) - producer Red Planet Mars (1952) - screenplay, producer Moulin Rouge (1952) - screenplay Beat the Devil (1953) - uncredited writer That Lady (1955) - screenplay Safari (1956) - screenplay Monkey on My Back (1957) - screenplay The Adventures of Tugboat Annie (1958) (TV series) - executive producer Solomon and Sheba (1959) - screenplay Timbuktu (1959) - screenplay Markham (1960) (TV series) writer of episodes The List of Adrian Messenger (1963) - screenplay The Night of the Iguana (1964) - screenplay
Awards and nominations +AwardYearCategoryWorkResultAcademy Award1938Best Adapted ScreenplayStage Door1947The KillersEdgar Award1947Best Motion Picture Screenplay1964The List of Adrian MessengerWriters Guild of America Award1953Best Written American DramaMoulin Rouge1965The Night of the Iguana
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